Black Eye Friday

Everyone knows that the day after Thanksgiving is notorious for being... a little more than hectic for those who wish to participate in the festivities of bargain hunting. Whether you ate turkey at 5pm and have been napping ever since, or you had to deal with your crazy family and didn't finish eating till midnight, there's a good chance you'll be standing outside the mall at 4am waiting for the doors to open.

In hopes of changing things up a bit his year, I spent my Black Friday swimming with sea turtles, far away from home. Some might say that nothing is worth missing the amazing deals you find only on that one day of the year, but I'd have to disagree. I have to say that I'd rather be followed by a 5 foot barracuda for thirty minutes again, than be kicked and shoved into an isle by a 4 foot tall, 80 year old woman, with her eyes set on that last box of moth balls that are marked down 60%.

Major corporations, from clothing to electronics, film commercials, post ads in papers and

hang up poster ads all in hopes of getting the most people in their stores on the biggest shopping

day of the year. Some commercials, such as the one below, exaggerate (hopefully) what people act

do in preparation for this big day.

So what's the big deal? Is it really worth it to leave your family on Thanksgiving to stand in front of a shopping mall in the freezing cold to spend 50 dollars less on an Xbox? That's obviously a personal preference, but I'd like to point out that saving 50 dollars on anything isn't something to sneeze at in these hard economic times. Would I trample an employee opening store doors? No. Would I stay up all night standing outside a store to be the first in line? No. Would I shove a small child through a clothing rack, attempting to take MY 50% off shoes? Well.. maybe.

Some people's reasoning is that it's a tradition, and if it's not a tradition, some like to be caught up in the moment, viewing it as a social gathering. Whether it's tradition, a night of shopping, a time to get your family's Christmas list over and done with, or your own unique way of relieving stress by running old ladies over with your shopping cart, there's something here for everyone. Although I must say I can't be upset that I spent my Black Friday in the Caribbean, I am a little... curious as to what my Black Friday experience would have been like if I were home. Maybe next year I'll actually wait outside Westfield Mall at 12pm to get a fresh pair of Nike's for half price, but who knows, maybe I wont.

Tradition? Fun? Stress relief? A night out? I want to know what your reason is, if any, to participate, or not to participate every year on Black Friday.

Share

Tweet

Celebrities Boycott Social Networks

Celebrity Alicia Keys is at it once again. Hoping to raise funds for her charity, "Keep A Child Alive", Misses Keys has started a new campaign she calls Digital Life Sacrifice. The idea is to have celebrities join together and sign off of their favored social network starting tomorrow, December 1. Celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Usher, and Justin Timberlake have agreed not to sign back onto their social network accounts until 1 million dollars has been raised for the Keep A Child Alive charity.

This call to arms has grown quite popular and has spread throughout the celebrity community. Other public figures such as Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Elijah Wood, and Key's husband, Swizz Beatz have all filmed videos, known as "last tweet and

testament".

These videos will be shown in ads which depict each celebrity laying in a coffin, signifying their "digital death".

As you can see, Kim Kardashian is shown on the left, on her campaign add.

The Foundation, started in 2003, is accepting donations via text messages and bar-code scanning, which is featured in the charities "Buying Life" campaign. Alicia states that "it's really important and super-cool to use mediums that we naturally are on". Seeing as almost everyone I know and their mother... and grandmother has a facebook or twitter, I'd have to say that she's taking strides in the right direction.

President and co-founder of the Keep A Child Alive foundation, Leigh Blake reports that "We're trying to sort of make the remark: Why do we care so much about the death of once celebrity opposed to millions and millions of people dying in the place that we're all from". All raised efforts are being used to support families effected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. She goes on the say "It's about love and respect and human dignity".

With popular backing, and enough media coverage, I hope that this campaign will easily raise not only 1 million, but much much more. Will you be one to help?

Share

Tweet

Is The Verizon iPhone Finally Here!?

     The rivarly between iPhone(AT&T) users and Android(Verizon) users seems to have been carrying on longer then the Isreali-Palestine rivarly in the middle east.  Only until recently has fustrated Verizon users seen the light, this is because several news sources have official proof that the long awaited Verizon iPhone 5 is coming soon and here to stay.  Fortune magazine has issued perhaps the strongest-worded statement to date on the Verizon iPhone, confirming that the device does exist, and that it will ship in early 2011. In a lengthy cover article published online on Oct. 29, Fortune contributor Sarah Ellison says that the Verizon iPhone is a "fait accompli," and notes that the device has been configured to work on Verizon's CDMA network.

     But what does this mean for AT&T?  According to several financial sources it won't put too much of a dent into AT&T's sales of the current iPhone 4, and they predict they won't loose many users to the new Verizon iPhone.  Primarly because current AT&T users don't won't to pay a termination fee if they choose to reactive their contract with Verizon Wireless.
     As a current iPhone user, what fustrates me is that the new Verizon iPhone 5 is rumored to have better performance upgrades, bug fixes, better network, and a slightly bigger screen.  While the current iPhone 4 will remain unchanged.  In my own personal opinion if AT&T doesn't want to loose valuable customers they should either come out with the same updated iPhone 5 as Verizon is getting at the same time.  Or if they don't get the updated phone they should offer current customers cheaper rate plans, because I would't want to pay extra money for a inferior service provider that has a reputation for dropped calls and high premiums.

Share

Tweet

Blog #4: Warner's Edgy ' Harry Potter' Campaign Pays Off, by Brooks Barnes

The new movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1 generated 125.1 million in its first weekend. This was the second biggest opening for the Harry Potter franchise. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire grossed 127.4 million in the first 3 days in November 2005 of its release. Harry Potter is very popular amoung people of all ages. Publicity for the movie was widespread. They used initals HP7 and put fake blood on billboards to advertise the movie. According to Barnes, 25% of the audience in North America was in the age range of 18 to 34 years olds. In contrast 10% of the audienice for the first Harry Potter came from that age braket.

This Movie Alice In Wonderland to be the opeining movie in history of IMAX. 12.4 million in the box offfic sales accorced for the IMAX showing. IMAX international showings accounted for 16.6. By compariosn Alice In Wonderland only took in 12.1 million in the u.s in IMAX showing at 15.3 in international IMAX showing Mr. Fellman, Warner's preisdent of domestic distribution of films says that no other franchise has been able to expand through the age groups. Extensive advertising has help the sals greatly

Share

Tweet

Please remove your shoes, and your outfit while you're at it

If you traveled in the air recently, I'm sure you've come across these full body scanners they're using now. This is an extremely controversial topic, as the country is basically split 50/50 for and against this new form of security. It's either get felt up by a Transportation Security Agent or have your naked body visible to a monitor in a remote location. Some have protested the heightened security precautions, but that's up to them. The issue here is trust. Recently, a Florida courthouse leaked 100 body scans onto the internet taken by U.S. Marshall's that were very revealing. Similar body scans are taken at airport security checkpoints, which raises concern for some travelers. The TSA says it does not save images taken by the body scanner, in fact they're deleted shortly after you're finished, even if they find something suspicious.

So far, no news stories have come up that would jeopardize this statement. With that being said, some people are still skeptical and simply do not trust our government. They probably think that the government always lies to us, so why wouldn't they now? Or they believe that if U.S. Marshall's in Florida can do it, why can't the TSA? It's the travelers judgment call I suppose, but I would probably choose whichever security method is quicker, as the airport is no place to delay. Hopefully those 100 are the only and last ones that will ever end up online because no one deserves to have their civil rights violated to such a degree where their naked body ends up on the internet. Another equally controversial sub-story is the exemption of children to this new security. Some people don't want their children to be scanned or felt up because they're too young. I feel children should not be exempt because the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are animals and will not hesitate to strap a bomb to a kid in order to take a plane out of the sky. To ensure continued security in the air, I'm for these new "close" and "thorough" security upgrades.

Share

Tweet

NFL tackling rules, should the rules be changed?

The National Football League announced Tuesday it will immediately begin suspending players for “egregious and elevated hits” that violate rules, particularly those involving helmets.

In the past, players were either fined or ejected for illegal hits. But after the series of recent flagrant tackles last Sunday, several of which resulted in concussions, the NFL ramped up the punishment.

Among the hits getting attention last weekend:
—The Eagles' DeSean Jackson and the Falcons' Dunta Robinson were knocked out of their game after a frightening collision in which Robinson launched himself head first to make a tackle. Both sustained concussions.

—Ravens tight end Todd Heap took a vicious hit from Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather that Heap called "one of those hits that shouldn't happen."

—The Steelers' James Harrison sidelined two Browns players with head injuries after jarring hits. (FOX news)

Now, it seems to me like everyone is concerned about NFL players there is no doubt about that, but mostly they are concerned about the next generation of football players, the kids. Over time it has been proven that Athletes, more precisely, professional football players, have a shorter life expectancy mostly because they are prone to problems with memory, focus and concentration, and early signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Due to hard hits to the head, neck, and spine football players endure many concussions in their careers, as well as joint and muscle problems. This is a risk that all football players take when they decide to play the game. Football is a contact sport, a collision sport. In fact, it would appear that the popularity of this sport is mainly because of the brutality of it. A “real mans sport” so to speak. Having said this, It has been made apparent to some (why it has only hit them now I’m not too sure, pun intended) that the game is too brutal. Now it is all over ESPN that the NFL wants to go ahead and change the tackling rules to thus avoid more unnecessary injuries. There are so many things wrong with this I don’t even know where to start, but I’m going to try. First of all, we are more than half way through the season (several concussions in), this would have been a good thing to discuss after the first NFL player was paralyzed for the rest of his life not several there after. Second of all the rules are fine just the way they are, the problem is with in the way that they are being enforced (hardly at all). If the supposed illegal contacts/hits were taken more seriously by implementing punishment such as fines and suspension of players without pay, I believe the players would tread a little more lightly. Not to mention the fact that most if not all players would be relieved that they were a little safer on the field knowing what was at stake for all players. Third of all changing the rules at this point in history may change the entire game and the way that people know it today. Many may feel as though they are taking away from the sport by changing it. Not to mention the money the NFL may lose due to the fines the players and corporation will receive as well as the amount of time these players may see off the field. Is this changing of the rules a good thing intended to better protect our athletes, or just a way for the NFL to try and make themselves feel better about being one of the most brutal and sometimes maybe even fatal sport around?

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/20/nfl-tackling-rules-step-right-direction/

Share

Tweet

Maybe Jay Z had a point when he made his recent hit “Death of Auto-tune”, These days the pitch corrector seems to be the death of all real music artists, or is it?

Auto-tune, is a voice/pitch corrector made to help singers get that perfect sound they are looking for (that is, what you hear on every music station today). Made by Andy Hildebrand in late 1996, this Instrument was first used for the, oh so irritating, “Believe” By Cher in 1998. This was not the way that Hildebrand had intended it to be used, "I never figured anyone in their right mind would want to do that," he said. Like most of the trends brought about by Cher this “abuse” of auto-tune soon died out, until another artist by the name of t-pain, figured out a way to use auto-tune to jump start his career in 2003. "It just worked for my voice," says T-Pain. "And there wasn't anyone else doing it." (Time magazine)

The point is, that this device, this “auto-tune” is making it so that now, not only do you not have to be able to dance and sing to your own music, but you can make it appear as though you can, to the untrained eye. I know what you’re probably thinking, Well that would mean that damn near anyone could do this whole entertainment thing. Has it really come to this? I would like to think not but the evidence is in the pudding. You probably couldn’t find one single artist today that could tell you that they didn’t use it, and if they did, chances are, they are lying. So is this sudden obsession with auto-tune a good thing or a bad thing? And most of all, Is this something that is now permanently part of the music industry or just another passing fad?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui86peQZ74s&feature=related

Share

Tweet